1974 Sikkimese general election

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1974 Sikkimese general election
Flag of Sikkim (1967-1975).svg
←  1973 13 April 1974 1979  →
All 32 seats in the State Council
17 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority party
  Kazi Lhendup Dorjee .jpg Swastika right-facing.svg
Leader Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
Party SNC SNP
Leader's seatTashiding
Last election59
Seats won311
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 26Decrease2.svg 8
Elected CM

Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
SNC

General elections were held in Sikkim on 13 April 1974. They were the first elections in Sikkim to be held on the basis of universal suffrage, and also the last prior to Indian annexation. [1] The result was a victory for the Sikkim National Congress, which won 31 of the 32 seats in the State Council. Kazi Lhendup Dorjee subsequently became Chief Minister. [2] In May 1975 Sikkim became a state of India, [3] at which point the State Council became the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. [4]

Contents

Background

In the 1973 elections the Sikkim National Party won nine seats out of eighteen elected seats in the 24-seat Sikkim State Council. [5] The Sikkim National Congress and Sikkim Janata Congress claimed there had been vote rigging, leading to protests. Political parties and members of the public demanded one man, one vote . On 8 May 1973 a tripartite agreement was signed between the Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, political parties and the government of India. The agreement provided for the establishment of a responsible government under the supervision of a Chief Executive nominated by the Indian government. [6] [7]

Electoral system

Through the Representations of Sikkim Subjects Act, 1974, the Chogyal divided Sikkim into 31 territorial constituencies and one Sangha constituency. The 31 territorial constituencies were allocated as 15 for Nepalis, 15 for the Bhutia-Lepcha and one for scheduled castes, under a parity formula. The Sangha constituency represented Chogyal-recognized monasteries. [8]

Campaign

The Sikkim National Congress contested all the 32 seats, whilst the Sikkim National Party contested five seats. Elections were held with the support of Election Commission of India. [9]

Results

Sikkim State Council 1974.svg
PartySeats+/–
Sikkim National Congress 31+26
Sikkim National Party 1–8
Total32+8
Source: Sikkim Assembly Website [10]

Constituency-wise

#ConstituencyReserved
for [11] 		WinnerParty [12]
1Yoksam BL Degay Bhutia Sikkim National Congress
2 Tashiding Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
3 Geyzing Nepalis Kumari Hemlata Chettri
4Dentam Narbahadur Khatiwada
5BarmiokNanda Kumar Subedi
6 Rinchenpong BL Nayen Tshering Lepcha
7Chakung Nepalis B. B. Gurung
8SoreongChatur Singh Rai
9 Daramdin Krishna Bahadur Limboo
10 Jorethang-Nayabazar Krishna Chandra Pradhan
11 Ralang BL Passang Tshering Bhutia
12WakAdar Singh Lepcha
13 Damthang Nepalis Ratna Bijay Rai
14 Melli Nanda Bahadur Rai
15Rateypani WestPendam Bhuwani Prasad Kharel
16 Temi-Tarku Badri Nath Pradhan
17Central Pendam-East PendamKehar Singh Karki
18 Rhenock Bhawani Prasad Dahal
19 Regu Mohan Gurung
20 Pathing BL Sonpom Lepcha
21Loosing-Pachekhani Nepalis R. C. Poudyal
22Khamdong SC Kusu Das
23 Djongu BL Loden Tsering Lepcha
24 Lachen-MangshilaTasa Tengay Lepcha
25 Kabi-Tingda Kalzang Gyatso Bhutia Sikkim National Party [13]
26Rakdong-TentekRinzing Tongden Lepcha Sikkim National Congress
27MartamShepochung Bhutia
28 Rumtek Phigu Tshering Bhutia
29Assam-LingjeyDugo Bhutia
30RankaNim Tshering Lepcha
31 Gangtok Dorjee Tshering Bhutia
32 Sangha Sangha Karma Gonpo Lama
Source: Sikkim Darbar Gazette [14]

Council of Ministers

The Chogyal appointed the Council of Ministers on 23 July. [15] [16]

NameRole
Kazi Lhendup Dorjee Chief Minister
Rinzing Tongden LepchaMinister
Bhawani Prasad Dahal
Dorjee Tshering Bhutia
Krishna Chandra Pradhan

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ "Verdict in Sikkim". Economic and Political Weekly. 14 (42/43): 1737–1738. 27 October 1979. JSTOR   4368050.
  2. ↑ Sikkim Legislative Assembly: An overview Archived 21 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Sikkim Assembly
  3. ↑ Gupta, Ranjan (September 1975). "Sikkim: The Merger with India". Asian Survey. 15 (9): 786–798. doi:10.2307/2643174. JSTOR   2643174.
  4. ↑ "The Constitution (Thirty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1975". www.india.gov.in. ... the Assembly for Sikkim formed as a result of the elections held in Sikkim in April, 1974 ... shall be deemed to be the Legislative Assembly of the State of Sikkim
  5. ↑ "AC Sinha" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "R.C. Poudyal and ANR. Vs. Union of India and ORS" (PDF). Supreme Court of India. 10 February 1993. Retrieved 20 January 2021. It further recited that the Chogyal as well as the representative of the people had requested the Government of India to assume responsibility ... to provide the head of the administration described as Chief Executive to help and achieve the State's objectives. ... The Chief Executive was to be nominated by the Government of India
  7. ↑ "How Sikkim became a part of India". The Pioneer. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2021. This agreement had significantly curtailed the powers of the Chogyal and laid the grounds for holding fresh elections in April 1974 under the aegis of the Election Commission of India (ECI)
  8. ↑ Bareh, Hamlet (2001). Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 44. ISBN   81-7099-794-1.
  9. ↑ Bareh, p. 18
  10. ↑ "Sikkim Legislative Assembly". Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2022. The First Sikkim Assembly formed through the election held in 1974 with 32 members is deemed to be the First Legislative Assembly of Sikkim ... Sikkim Congress led by Kazi Lhendup Dorjee won 31 seats and one seat went in favour of Sikkim National Party.
  11. ↑ "Delimitation of Constituencies, 1974". 5 February 1974. pp. 32–34, 45. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "List of contesting candidates, 1974". 11 March 1974. pp. 54–55, 68. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  13. ↑ Pem Choden Tenzing (July 2019). Monarchy to Democracy Understanding Political Development in Sikkim, 1970-1994 (Thesis). p. 147. Retrieved 17 June 2021. ...Sikkim Congress Party and the Sikkim National Party would be the two parties to be given reserved symbols, the ladder with seven strings and the Swastika respectively.
  14. ↑ "General Election to Sikkim Assembly, 1974". 20 April 1974. pp. 70–71. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  15. ↑ "Notification No 37/SC". p. 108. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  16. ↑ "Sikkim Darbar Gazette" . Retrieved 1 July 2021.
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